Storage Path for Libvirt qcow2 Images
Libvirt uses storage pools to manage virtual machine disk images, and the default storage pool for qcow2 images is often named default. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to change the default storage path for libvirt qcow2 images:
Step 1: Switch to Root User
Since virsh commands typically require root permissions, it's recommended to switch to the root user to execute them directly without the need for sudo. You can switch to the root user by using the following command:
su
Step 2: Identify the Default Storage Pool
Begin by listing all storage pools to identify the default one. Execute the following command:
virsh pool-list --all
This command will display a list of available storage pools. Look for a pool named default and take note of its type.
Additional Step: Creating a New Storage Pool
If the default storage pool is not set to default or if you want to create a new pool, you can use the following command to define a new pool and set it as the default:
virsh pool-define-as --name default --type dir --target /your/path/you/wish
Replace /your/path/you/wish with the desired path for the new storage pool. This step is optional and can be used if you prefer a different storage pool as the default one.
Step 3: View the Current Pool Configuration
To see the current configuration of the default pool, or the pool you identified in step 1, use the following command:
virsh pool-dumpxml default
Step 4: Edit the Pool Configuration
Edit the pool configuration using a text editor. By default, a clear distro like Arch may use vi as the default editor. If you prefer using something like nano or vim or nvim, you can set the editor explicitly. For example:
EDITOR=nvim virsh pool-edit default
This opens the pool's XML configuration in the specified text editor.
Step 5: Modify the Path
Find the <path> element in the XML configuration and modify its value to set the new path for the storage. For example:
<path>/new/path/to/storage</path>
Save the changes and exit the text editor.
Step 6: Restart the Storage Pool
After modifying the XML configuration, restart the storage pool for the changes to take effect:
virsh pool-destroy default
virsh pool-start default
Replace default with the actual name of your storage pool.
Step 7: Verify the Changes
Confirm that the changes have taken effect by running:
virsh pool-info default